Recommended Readings... 080615

Some more interesting reads lately...

• Clifford J Levy in the NYTimes writes that Free and Flush, Russians Are Venturing Abroad, an excellent indicator of prosperity and the growing normalcy and integration of Russia into the global economy.
• Jeanna Russell writes in the Globe about visionary water engineer Thomas Baron in All tomorrow's water. Baron has a century-long perspective on waterworks and the infrastructure of urbanization and is urging a multi-decade plan to ensure adequate future aquatic supplies.
• Globe Ideas columnist Kevin Lewis spotlights how our MBA students at MIT misunderstand accumulation dynamics in this weekend's Uncommon Knowledge column.
• The Observer Sam Allis sides with Legal Sea Foods owner Roger Berkowitz in the battle royale between Berkowitz's fishy advertising humor and the humorless union hacks at the MBTA. As Allis says, Quit crabbing!
• Anna Fifield in the FT writes Wake up and smell all the fun about the vibrant cafe society in Tehran, Iran. Youthful Iranians are the future and at this oldest of social institutions -- Persians have been consuming coffee for 3,000 years or so -- perhaps we see in these cafes the future, an ever more vital and engaged and creatively positive Iran. Just a thought.
• Roger Blitz in the FT writes that a Veteran of pitch battles has advice for business players. Retired soccer-football ref Pierluigi Collina singles out how building up and earning trust is central to leadership.
• Following up on a previous week's news of Abu Dhabi agri-projects in the Sudan, Andrew England writes in the FT that Saudis plan to grow crops overseas elsewhere in the MENACA region. Since these are long-term investors with deep pockets and wisdom, I expect that the natural corollary to such Saudi agri-projects are investments in the necessary roadways, railways, ports and other vital infrastructure gigaprojects.
• Clive Cookson and Andrew Jack in the FT assess the evidence for why peer review is under pressure in Science Stifled?